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Vol 49 No 11 November 2013Institute of Animal TechnologyBulletinVol 52 No 12 December 2016WWiisshhiinngg yyoouu aallll aa VVeerryy HHaappppyy CChhrriissttmmaass

DevelopmentEDITOR*Sarah Lanebulletineditor@iat.org.ukASSISTANT EDITOR*Carole Wilsonbulletinassistant@iat.org.ukADVERTISEMENTMANAGERSPRC Associates Ltdmail@prcassoc.co.ukPublished monthly by theInstitute of Animal Technology*Registered Office: 5 South ParadeSummertownOxford OX2 7JLISSN 0263-2861For enquiries other thanBulletin related contact:IAT ADMINISTRATOR*admin@iat.org.ukor 0800 085 4380BulletinVol 52 No 12 December 2016Final copy date for February Bulletin1st JanuaryThe opinions expressed in theBulletin do not necessarily reflectthose of the Editor or theInstitute.CONTENTSRAnTech and NACWO 5-9Workshop ReportCongress 2017 9-11Notice of IAT AGM 13My IAT Youth rep 14-15experienceAS-ET 16-17Suppliers Register i-xlivBranch News 21-25Named Persons’ Workshop 26-27New e-learning tool 29launchedSituations Vacant 30Diary Dates 31

BulletinDecember 2016• 5RAnTech and NACWO Workshop Aone day workshop took place in Birmingham for Registered AnimalTechnologists (RAnTechs) and Named Animal Care and Welfare Officers(NACWOs) on Wednesday 12th October 2016 and was once again very wellattended. There were 53 delegates participating on the day, fifty percent ofwhich were RAnTechs.The opening speaker ElliottLilley from the RSPCA gave apresentation on the essentialrole of NACWOs andtechnologists on the AnimalWelfare Ethical Review Bodies(AWERB). He summarised themembership, role of the namedpersons, competencies andqualities and how technologistsshould actively seek to serve ontheir local AWERB stressing thevalue animal technologists haveon the AWERB.Hilary Willingale, Animals in ScienceRegulatory Unit (ASRU) followedElliott and spoke about assessingcompliance and low level concerns inestablishments. Hillary continued byexplaining what the Home Officeidentify as low level concerns, whywe should worry about them, howInspectors monitor them and how aNACWO can be effective in thisprocess.

Bulletin6 •December 2016To summarise her presentation Hillary stated that animal technologists are keyto maintaining a good culture of care and it flows that effective animaltechnologists are key to good welfare and good science.There followed questions from the floor which included, ‘why are Inspectorsinconsistent?’ and ‘who is the new minister?’.Mick Carling was the next speakerfrom ASRU and he gave an updateon risk management, inspectionplanning and resources in theHome Office. Mick went on to saythat the Inspectors meet quarterlyto discuss those establishmentswith the highest levels of risk andto prepare an action plan for eachof them and explained how theInspectorate determine thefrequency of visits and HomeOffice resources.Wendy Steel (Chair IATRegistration and Accreditation)Board) gave the last presentationbefore the break for lunch with anupdate on the Science Council,RsiTech. Wendy spoke about thebenefits of animal technologistsjoining the Science Council whichincludes boosting job satisfaction,captures career development andgives recognition beyond theworkplace and our professionalbody, the IAT.

BulletinDecember 2016• 7A break for lunch gave an opportunity for networking, to catch up with oldfriends and colleagues and to share ideas with other delegates before theafternoon session.The afternoon session consisted of a very thought provoking workshop led bySam Nicholls from Support 4Rs. Sam, his colleague Dermot McCann and all atthe company provide a support infrastructure with regard to animal rights

BulletinDecember 2016• 9protests for the public research institutions, universities and medical researchcharities throughout the UK drawing on their past experience working withinthe police force. The room was divided into groups, each group given a scenario where therehad been, was to be or preparing for an infiltration of an establishment. Afterdiscussing these topics in groups, summaries were placed on flip charts andpresented to the room.In conclusion the day was very successful and worthwhile and created a greatdeal of stimulation to those who attended.Our thanks go to all the speakers and of course to the delegates who attendedon the day.Cathy GodfreyRegistration and Accreditation Board

LATEST UPDATES!Provisional Programme now in placeConfirming Workshops and a Record number ofFirst Time PresentationsProvisional Programme in bitesizeO ten workshops with as many aspossible repeated over two daysO six young presenters making theirdebutO the Kevin Dolan Memorial Lecturewill be ‘out of this world’O popular poster presentationsO a flash trade session – 30participants in 1 minute slotsO and more to follow …Detailed information on the workshopswill be published in the ProvisionalProgramme booklet and distributed inthe January Bulletin.Registering online for Congress –all packages and costs are set out inthe ‘Invitation Booklet’.‘Invitation Booklet’ download athttp://www.iat.org.uk/#!congressc16thTo discuss any aspect of Congress with the Congress Committee or if you have anyquestions, email – congress@iat.org.ukCheck for updates www.iat.org.ukEarly Birds notethe footer date

WORKSHOPSAttendance at all Workshops is by a PRE-BOOKING systemFurther details will appear in the January 2017 issueTuesday 21st March12.15 – 14.15 ‘IVC environmental health monitoring, 3Rs and colony management’Patrick Hardy, Allentown12.15 – 14.15 ‘Introduction to Zebra Danio’Jon Faupel, Tecniplast14.30 – 16.30 ‘Severity classification and reporting’Kathy Ryder, Home Office14.30 – 16.30 ‘NC3Rs playtime for rats’Vicky Robinson, NC3RsWednesday 22nd March10.45 – 12.45 ‘How to be an AWERB champion’Penny Hawkins, RSPCA10.45 – 12.45 ‘Introduction to Zebra Danio’Jon Faupel, Tecniplast UK10.45 – 12.45 ‘Using the science of human behaviour to improve the welfareof research animals’Suzanne Rogers, Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare CommunityResource10.45 – 12.45 ‘IVC environmental health monitoring, 3Rs and colony management’Patrick Hardy, Allentown13.15 – 15.15 ‘Severity classification and reporting’Kathy Ryder, Home Office13.15 – 15.15 ‘Working with minipigs – all you ever wanted to know’Adrian Zeltner, Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs13.15 – 15.15 ‘Practical aseptic technique in surgery - basic’Lucy Whitfield, Royal Veterinary College13.15 – 15.15 ‘Nice to meet you… so what do you do for a living?’Bella Williams and John Meredith, Understanding Animal Research15.30 – 17.30 ‘Preparing to present for the first time’Diana Baumann, Stowers Institute15.30 – 17.30 ‘NC3Rs playtime for rats’Vicky Robinson, NC3Rs15.30 – 17.30 ‘Practical aseptic technique in surgery - advanced’Lucy Whitfield, Royal Veterinary College15.30 – 17.30 ‘How to be an AWERB champion’Penny Hawkins, RSPCATimings are subject to changeSo please check the Bulletin and website regularly for up-to-date information

BulletinDecember 2016• 13NOTICE of IAT ANNUAL NOTICE of IAT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2017GENERAL MEETING 2017The thirty-first Annual General Meeting of theInstitute of Animal Technology will be held at:IAT Congress on Tuesday 21st March 2017 at 6pmFor the following purposes:1. To consider the minutes of the thirtieth Annual General Meeting heldon Tuesday 8th March 2016 (as published in full on the Members’section of the IAT website and in abridged form in the Bulletin Volume52 No 6).2. To receive and consider the Company’s annual accounts for the yearended 31 December 2016 together with the Annual Report and theAuditors’ report.3. To appoint Auditors of the Institute.4. To review the Council’s objectives for 2016.5. To elect members of the Council who are proposed for re-election byrotation under the terms of the Articles of Association and any suchnew members to fill existing vacancies.6. To elect a President and Vice-Presidents for the ensuing year.7. To consider the election of Life and Honorary Members of theInstitute.8. Any other business.Dated: December 2016Ken Applebee (Chair of Council)Linda Horan (Honorary Secretary)THE AGM IS OPEN TO ALLVoting Rights are restricted to voting members only

Bulletin14 •December 2016My IAT Youth rep experienceIhave been an animal technician at the Pirbright Institute for 3 years but itwas only when I moved from the Berkshire site to the Surrey site that I wasasked if I would like to be a youth rep for the Surrey, Sussex and Hampshirebranch of the IAT.I was nervous at first but once I arrived at the first meeting everyone was superfriendly and I got chatting to the other technicians about where we were from,which species we work with, etc. It was great to chat to like-minded peopleabout the job that we do.During the meetings we discuss a variety of topics. We often discuss Congressand it is great to chat about the different options available. We are alwaysencouraged to apply for competitions and spread the word to our peers. Wediscuss all sorts of ideas including an animal technician exchange. It only takesone person to come up with an idea and it just progresses from there. It isbrilliant to hear everyone’s views and the best thing about having a group ofthis size is that whilst we are all “youth animal techs”, we all have a differentperspective coming from various establishments and units and working withdiffering species. It is a great platform to exchange ideas.There has been some excellent feedback and a few ideas we have come up within the meetings are actioned pretty soon afterwards. That lets us all know thatour opinions are valued and that our ideas are of relevance. The latest exampleof this is the meeting that was held in May 2016. One of the main issuesdiscussed was AS-ET. Steve Barnett attended to talk to us and get some thoughtsabout how to increase funding and awareness for the Animal Science EducationTrust. There were some great ideas that the group came up with and at the mostrecent meeting we were informed that a lot of these proposals had been put

BulletinDecember 2016• 15into action. It is a very good feeling to know that the IAT youth members’ viewsare valued and useful.These meetings are a fantastic way to network, brainstorm and get your voiceheard.Megan Cooper* * *I have worked as an animal technician for Manchester University for nearlythree years and for the past year I have been a youth rep for the North Westbranch of the IAT. It can be a daunting experience being new at these meetings, not knowinganyone and not even being certain on what you will be discussing. However, theenvironment is relaxed and everyone is easy to get to know. It is really good tohear what institutions everyone works for and how each one differs in how it isoperated to the type of species it houses. This alone, has been a great platformto explore different ideas throughout the meeting. For example, discussingsimilarities and differences between each of our day to day routines has createdthe idea of possibly starting an ‘animal technician exchange’ betweeninstitutions. This gives technicians a chance to experience different types ofestablishments, how other species are housed and maybe learn things to takeback to your own institution. Whether this is a short afternoon visit or somethinglonger, it has been a great idea that will hopefully develop further long term. Another focus of the youth rep meetings is to raise awareness and gathersupport for the Animal Science Education Trust (AS-ET). AS-ET is an importantorganisation for animal technicians, as their bursaries can provide money forshort courses to higher education qualifications so helping with funding iscrucial. This past youth rep meeting in September, it was great to hear howsome of our ideas that we put forward in the previous meeting in May hadbeen implemented already. It is a good feeling to know that you can potentiallymake a difference and that your voice is being heard. Overall, attending the youth rep meetings has been a great opportunity anddefinitely worthwhile. It has been a good chance to speak up on issues that youor your peers have queries about and a great way to exchange ideas betweendifferent technicians across the country who could have the same thoughts asyou or bring something to your attention that you had never thought aboutbefore. It is something worth recommending to the people you work with to tryand get them more involved in the IAT! Lois Byrom

Bulletin16 •December 2016Christmas GreetingsThe AS-ET Team would like to wish all readers best wishes for Christmas and2017. If one of your resolutions for the New Year is to improve your qualificationsand you are having difficulty raising course fees remember you can apply to AS-ETfor a bursary. Details from www.as-et.org.ukChristmas is the time when people think about making donations to charitieswhose aims they agree with. Please consider making a donation to AS-ET and it iseasy to do through our just giving page www.justgiving.com/as-etAnnual LectureThe AS-ET Annual lecture is thehighlight of our year. ProfessorRobin Lovell-Badge FRS gave anexcellent lecture that was enjoyedby all who attended. We are verygrateful to him for giving thelecture twice, in London andManchester. We are also gratefulto our sponsors, IAT West MidlandsBranch, Agenda and Datesand. A full report of the lecture willappear in a later edition of theBulletin.James Bussell’s Great North RunLast month we reported that James had completed the GNR and had raised over£800 for AS-ET in the process. We can now report that the sum raised by Jameshas reached in excess of £1,000. We would like to thank James for this greatachievement. If you are feeling sad that you did not take part in this great event,do not worry, you can still donate just go to the just giving site belowhttps://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/James-Bussell1Robin Lovell-Badge

BulletinDecember 2016• 17AS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15AS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15AS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15AS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15AS-ET is a charity to advance education and promote excellence in the care andwelfare of animals used in science. Sponsors of AS-ET are listed below and to find out more please visit the websitewww.as-et.org.ukAS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15AS-ET is a charity set up to advance education and promote excellence inthe care and welfare of animals used in science.To see how you can apply for a bursary visit our website (www.as-et.org.uk)The companies listed below sponsor AS-ET. If you would like to join themfind out how to support us by looking at our website.BulletinMay 2014• 15

BulletinDecember 2016• 19IAT West Middlesex Branch6th Annual Technician Trade DayWe are pleased to announce our 6th Annual Young Technician Symposium and Trade ShowThe meeting is open to allDate: Tuesday 14th February 2017Venue: Central LondonTime: 09:30-16:00Easy access by Public TransportEntry is by registration only*Please register early as this event has limited spaces(*ALL delegates attending including trademust be registered)To register please follow the link belowhttp://www.iatform.org.uk/view.php?id=5348General registration enquiriesPlease contact: Julie Bee julie.bee@crick.ac.ukTrade enquiries (To attend either as a trade delegate or with a stand)Please contact: Wayne Russell wrussell@allentowninc.com

BulletinDecember 2016• 21IAT West Middlesex BranchInter-branch Charity Angling Match Saturday September 3rdThe 2016 IAT Interbranch fishing match was held at Decoy Lakes, nearPeterborough. This event has been taking place for as long as I canremember, with some of today’s participants not born when the first eventtook place. The event used to be organised by the Hertfordshire and WestMiddlesex branches on a rotation basis but for the last 5 years or more theWest Middlesex Branch has looked after the stewardship. The fishing match isopen to all branches and individuals. It is fished in teams of three andindividually. The venue is divided into 3 sections, each team fields one angler ineach section. Individuals not in a team, will draw their peg and also fish one ofthe three sections. The team event is based on points, with 1 point for first, 2 for second, etc. The team with the lowest points total for all three members is the winner. If the points are equal then the team with the highest accumulated weight offish will win.The individual competition is based on weight. So the angler with the heaviestweight of fish wins, the runner up has the second heaviest weight, etc. 2016 Doug Short Memorial TrophyWinner Neil Fenner receiving the trophyfrom joint organiser Wayne RussellTrophies sponsored by Allentown Europe Ltd

Bulletin22 •December 2016This format gives everyone a challenge, even if your team mates do not dowell, you can still compete for prizes as an individual, or if you are having abad day, your team could help you do well in the team event.The main purpose of the event is to have an enjoyable day catching fish and toraise money for our nominated charity Help 4 Heroes in the process.TEAM RESULTS1st MSD DT Floats B Total team points 8 (wins on total team weight)Weight Section pointsIan Millin 71-11 2Dean Townshend 56-02 1Neil Riddy 20-05 52nd MSD DT Floats Total team points 8Neil Fenner 89-1 1Glyn Taylor 57-0 1Ken Sawyer 21-5 7Individual ResultsDoug Short Memorial Trophy Individual Winner Neil Fenner 89 lbs 1 ozRunner up Ian Millin 71 lbs 11 ozThird place Charlie Lawrence 62 lbs 13 ozLen Bagnall Memorial Trophy for the lowest recorded weightWinner Colin Wilson 6 lbs 1 ozOn behalf of all the participants I would like to thank our sponsors AllentownEurope Ltd, LBS and the venue owner, Decoy Lakes.A very big thank you goes to Neil Riddy for his time and effort in organisingthe venue and the administration on the day.Wayne RussellBranch Reporter

Bulletin24 •December 2016SHS Branch report “RAT” event1st October 2016It was all aboard at Alton for another evening of real ale sampling on the MidHants Railway Watercress line. The carriages were pulled by steam engine92212 – British Railways Standard Class 9F from Alton to Alresford, stopping onroute at Ropley and Medstead and Four Marks. Alton, a market town famousfor its brewing tradition, is the eastern tip of the Watercress Line and at theend of the station is one of the railway’sWagon Group restoration bases whereseveral out of commission engines andcarriages await reconstruction andrepair. Alresford is an attractiveGeorgian market town and the home ofHampshire’s watercress industry, fromwhich the railway takes its name.Engine 92212

BulletinDecember 2016• 25We all managed to get ontoone carriage of the train whichhas a capacity for 300 aleswilling travellers. There were17 in our group and theevening’s activities included aquiz and our regular hatcompetition, themed silver thisyear in honour of the 25th yearanniversary of the Branch. Aprize for the hat was kindlydonated by Agenda, oursponsors for the evening and abottle of Prosecco was awardedto Trevor from Lilly, a welldeserved win for sporting awooden engine on his head formost of the evening. There wasalso a bottle of Famous GrouseSmoky Black Whisky for thewinning quiz team ‘England vsPoland’ also from Lilly whoachieved a very respectablescore. The quiz proved apopular addition to the eveningwith a group of randomtravellers asking to join in. The train set off at 7.30pm making the journey up and down the line twice,where people could embark the first time around at Alresford if they wishedthen rejoined it before its last trip home. The engine changed ends atAlresford where there was a ten minute wait providing an opportunity towatch this enjoyable spectacle and for a few enthusiasts to climb into theengine and chat to the drivers. It was also a chance to stretch legs, althoughthere was no shortage of exercise back and forth to the bar to replenishglasses! The train also had a buffet car offering curry, burgers and chilli to soakup the beer. Thanks to Agenda for sponsoring the evening and to the Mid Hants railway forsome very good ale and an enjoyable trip into the past. Lesley HughesBranch Reporter

BulletinDecember 2016• 29New e-learning tool launchedAnew e-learning resource has been launched to assist in training researchworkers in the humane killing of laboratory animals. Created by ProfessorPaul Flecknell and his team at Newcastle University, with funding from theNC3Rs, it is the third scenario-based training module to be added to the FLAIRELearning website. Recipients of an NC3Rs Infrastructure for Impact award(https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news/new-e-learning-resource-laboratory-animal-euthanasia) in 2013, the group from Newcastle are developing a range of web-based tutorials on best practice in the refinement of animal experiments.The module places the user in situations they may encounter in the laboratory,in order to improve and to test their understanding of the issues surroundingeuthanasia of animals. This first version of the tutorial deals with rodents butfuture releases will include methods for use in other species.HUMANE METHODS OF KILLING LABORATORY ANIMALS

Bulletin30 •December 2016This free resource can be used as a basic introduction to the topic, a refresher,or for more specific training necessary for continued professional development.It has been specifically designed to meet the learning objectives of EU Module6.1 “Humane methods of killing” and also includes text based material toencompass the learning outcomes of EU Module 6.3. The online moduleincludes video material demonstrating the techniques listed in Schedule 1 ofA(SP)A and Annex 4 of EU 2010/63.Other NC3Rs-funded e-learning modules, on laboratory animal anaesthesia forminor procedures and the assessment of pain and distress in laboratoryanimals, can be accessed via the NC3Rs resources page(http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources).Versions of all of the available modules that allow for the tracking of usercompletion are available at FLAIRE Learning (http://www.flairelearning.com).The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Woking, Surrey, GU24 0NFAnimal Technician (ref 16P-34)The Pirbright Institute is a unique national centre that works through its highlyinnovative fundamental and applied bioscience to enhance the UK capability tocontain, control, and eliminate viral diseases of animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans.The Animal Services department is based within the Capability Directorate of The Pirbright Institute and undertakesthe daily care and welfare of experimental animals (covering species such as poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs, mice,rabbits & guinea pigs) housed within The Pirbright Institutes animal facilities. The purpose of this role is to provideessential support to the overall Institute objectives by undertaking the daily care and welfare of experimental animalskept within The Pirbright Institutes animal facilities.Main duties and responsibilitiesG Day to day care, welfare and general husbandry of animals i.e. feeding, cleaning, watering and health monitoring.G Assistance with the restraint of animals for the collection of samples and other welfare procedures.G Cleaning, disinfection and fumigation of facilities and equipment as required, working to a high standard ofcleanliness at all times.G Assistance with the processing of waste streams, inclusive of autoclave, incineration and fumigation.G Meticulous attention to detail including record keeping, document control and the ability to adhere to writtenmethods & protocols.G To assist with planned preventative maintenance and scheduled compliance testing within the facilities.G To observe all Health, Safety and Biosecurity protocols relevant to the post and the associated duties.G To hold a Home Office personal licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (as amended 2012)This is a full time role of 42 hours per week with a requirement to work an 11 day fortnight rota system, for whichadditional payment will be made. Please visit the Pirbright Institute website for full details and instructions on howto apply; http://www.pirbright.ac.uk/jobs/Jobs.aspxClosing date: 1 January 2017.

BulletinDecember 2016• 31DIARY Dates15 DecemberFinal date for Poster OralSubmissions at Congress 201718 DecemberEarly Bird cut off date forCongress registrations201726 JanuaryNamed Persons WorkshopCentral UKDetails fromwww.iat.org.ukSee pages 26-2727 JanuaryFinal date to submit a posterfor Congress 2017See page 914 FebruaryWest Middlesex 6th AnnualTechnician Trade DayCentral LondonDetails fromjulie.bee@crick.ac.ukSee page 1923 FebruaryWest Middlesex Branch AGMLondonDetails fromw.steel@imperial.ac.uk21-24 MarchCongress 2017Latest updatesDetails fromwww.iat.org.uk22-24 March8th European Charles RiverShort CourseBerlinDetails fromwww.eushortcourse.criver.comSee page 2Cover photo: Super Moon – Gail Thompson